As the U.S. Men’s National Team convenes upon San Diego ahead of July 9’s Gold Cup opener, new injury concerns cast doubt on two players who were expected to play a part in this month’s even. Unfortunately, though U.S. Soccer acknowledged the ailments in today’s update from San Diego, there are few new developments on the injuries to Corey Ashe and Josh Gatt.

Although he went the full 90 yesterday in New York, Ashe (pictured) was left frustrated in the moments after the game, having to be helped from the field by teammates while hobbled with a leg injury. Having joined his national teammates in San Diego, Ashe has been diagnosed with a thigh contusion and is preliminarily classified as day-to-day.

Gatt’s injury could be more serious, though with results of an MRI still pending, it’s impossible to estimate the damage to his knee. The Molde winger was taken from his Saturday league came just before half time and was evaluated on Sunday. His status for the Gold Cup and beyond is still unknown.

The U.S. is scheduled to play Guatemala on Friday, their only friendly before opening the Gold Cup next Tuesday against Belize in Portland. In between, the players will be subject to the training and testing that have characteristic of Jurgen Klinsmann’s camps. How Ashe and Gatt perform in those sessions could dictate their status for the Gold Cup.

Any prolonged absence would be a significant blow for either player, with the potentially three week-long Gold Cup giving each a chance to not only showcase their talents for Klinsmann but also illustrate how they can assimilate into the team environment. While both have been with the team before — Gatt capped twice; Ashe called in for a friendly before leaving with an injury — those were for shorter stints. Gold Cup call ups (as well as stretches like last month’s qualifying process) give players a chance to settle into a routine with the national team staff, a process particularly valuable for inexperienced players.

On the field, the U.S. may not miss either, with Klinsmann and company having a variety of options at their positions. But for the players, the Gold Cup represents a showcase, one that could win them consideration for the last four World Cup qualifiers as well as, in the long run, Brazil 2014.

Given the places Ashe and Gatt occupy in the national team pecking order, the Gold Cup could be the boost needed to get into the World Cup picture. Injuries would be a major setback.